Matt's Musings

Last week it was a tale of two picks for Lindsay and I. I went 4-0, nailing all four games, while she went 0-4. The Divisional Round always produces at least one upset, the trick is knowing which game it will be. Let's see if I can take another big step to 11-0 in the Post Season. Lindsay's picks are in brackets. Divisional Round Games: * Patriots Over Ravens (Patriots) This one is tricky. Baltimore looked great in beating the Steelers last week, and now they're a trendy upset pick. Given that, over the last 18 games, No. 1 seeds in the NFL playoffs are just 9-9, that seems even better. I was tempted to pick the Ravens, but I can't. I don't think you can say last week's game was definitive proof they've turned a corner. The Ravens split the regular season series with the Steelers, and the Steelers played without their best player and MVP, Le'Veon Bell. That's why I picked the Ravens for an upset. I don't think that's proof they're poised ...

“The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had.” — Eric Schmidt I have been a fan of Jason Reitman's films since his first offering, "Thank You For Smoking." It was a decade ago, now, but I loved everything about that satirical film. It was my favorite film of the year when it came out, and it's still a favorite. For his first three movies, I thought Reitman just got better. "Juno" was, perhaps, the most commercial success, but I think "Up In The Air," based on a little-known novel, is his best film. After that, Reitman expanded his range but it didn't always work. I was one of the harshest critics of "Labor Day," his oddly paced love story featuring Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin. Then, in the fall of 2014, he delivered another film based on a book, "Men, Women & Children." This film didn't have a long theatrical ru...

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. Into the Woods Starring: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, and Johnny Depp Synopsis: Full disclosure — I have never seen the musical stage version of “Into the Woods.” The show, which features music from Stephen Sondheim, first debuted in 1986. It’s been a staple on the stage ever since for its rich themes, classic characters and the way it turns the story on its head. This cinematic version — produced by Disney, directed by Rob Marshall (“Chicago”) and released as a family holiday film — no doubt watered down some of the more unsavory elements of the stage production. After all, in a holiday film where you’re aiming for a PG, you can’t go too dark or too adult with your narrative. I understand that angers some purists who were hoping to see a more faithful adaptation. But you have to evaluate a film for what it is, and if you’re being honest, “Into the Woods” the movie achieves its aims. It has a great cast, be...

Tonight the winter session of Growing Together Wednesdays begins at First Pres. This winter, for the next 10 weeks, I have the privilege of helping lead a class that will dig into the messages and world views in some powerful films. Each week I'll share some thoughts about the film for the week. Tonight's first class is about why story matters, and why it's good to look at movies and talk about them. Last night I watched the documentary "Life Itself," which is about the late, great film critic Roger Ebert. I thought it was a fitting way to move into this topic because Ebert had an incredible love of film and love of story. When I was younger, I loved to watch Ebert and his sparring partner and friend, Gene Siskel, on their weekly movie show. They talked about movies in a way that I could relate, focusing on story and how a film impacted them emotionally and their worldview. In "Life Itself," one of Ebert's friends and collaborators said he always fel...

In these weekly posts I will take a look at the new shows this winter. I will grade the pilot and the second episode. Let's see if we find some diamonds in the rough this winter. Sunday Nights : Galavant, Sundays at 8 p.m. on ABC (Premiered January 4) About: "Galavant" is the first new show out of the gate in 2015. It certainly won't be the best, but it might not be the worst, either. This is an ambitious project — it's a half hour musical comedy that's also a period piece. It features original songs and wants to have a "Monty Python" vibe. The problem here is that it feels like "Galavant" goes too middle of the road. It's a little too inappropriate to be a family or kids show — as there are plenty of sexual references — but it's not edgy enough to really hit that "Monty Python" zone. In fact, for a show like this to really work, it needs to be clever and edgy. This show isn't either. The pilot had its moments but the ...

The first weekend of the post season is over, and the Broncos now know who they're going to play in their first playoff game of the season, the Indianapolis Colts. Recap : It wasn't a great Wild Card Weekend. Three of the games were rough, leaving only the Cowboys vs. Lions game as a thriller to the end, with the Cowboys winning 24-20. In the other NFC game, the Carolina Panthers beat up an Arizona Cardinals team that just had too many injuries. Neither team looked great, but the Panthers were clearly the better team. Whether that will be the case when they travel to Seattle remains to be seen. In the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers fell apart without Le'Veon Bell, losing badly to the Baltimore Ravens. That sets up an interesting matchup with the Patriots. The Ravens always play the Patriots tough, and they're used to make a run from the sixth seed to the Super Bowl. The Ravens looked awful at times in the regular season, but who knows what will happen in the playoffs. I t...

We're now in 2015. Though we're in the unforgiving winter months, when the releases consist of wider offerings of awards bait from 2014 and movies no one will remember in two months, there's always time to get excited about what's coming. In the case of 2015, that means some giant Tent Pole movies and the conclusion to an exciting cinematic saga. Below are some of my picks of movies to get excited about in 2015. Furious 7, April 3 * This is the next installment in the successful "Fast & Furious" franchise, and it marks the farewell for Paul Walker. This was delayed, due to Walker's unexpected passing, from last Summer, and supposedly marks the beginning of a possible third trilogy for the franchise. Avengers: Age of Ultron, May 1 * The follow up to "Avengers," which at the time was the most successful Marvel movie ever. This one will have the gang back together for another wild adventure that will, likely, set up the next few years of Marvel ...